"Letting go" coping is associated with successful IVF treatment outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether women's baseline coping strategies are associated with IVF outcomes. Psychologic factors have been found to be prospectively associated with the outcome of IVF treatments in several studies. However, the exact role of coping strategies, which are modifiable, remains unclear. Problem-focused coping may be more adaptive for controllable situations, whereas emotion-focused coping (EFC) may be more adaptive for uncontrollable situations, such as most stages of IVF treatment.


METHODS
Prospective study. Coping strategies were assessed before IVF treatment began.


METHODS
Infertility and IVF unit in a university-affiliated tertiary medical center.


METHODS
Eighty-eight women undergoing IVF treatment in our unit.


METHODS
Pregnancy.


RESULTS
Of 88 women participating in the study, 23.9% became pregnant. In the male and female factor infertility groups, the EFC strategy of "letting go" was positively and significantly associated with pregnancy. Adjusting for age, cause of infertility, and number of cycles, the relative risk for pregnancy by "letting go" was 1.88 (95% confidence interval 1.1-3.2).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the notion that in the context of a low-control situation such as IVF treatment, women who try to be actively in control may pay a higher price in terms of pregnancy probabilities. Means of increasing "letting go" are discussed.
Rapoport-Hubschman
Nathalie
N
IVF and Infertility Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel. Electronic address: nathalie@clalit.org.il.
Gidron
Yori
Y
Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.
Reicher-Atir
Rivka
R
IVF and Infertility Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.
Sapir
Onit
O
IVF and Infertility Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.
Fisch
Benjamin
B
IVF and Infertility Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult